In the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Layer 2 (L2) measurements are generally performed by an evolved Node B (eNB) to facilitate an Operation And Maintenance (OAM) entity and/or to provide neighbor cells with load condition information in a cell. The parameters associated with load conditions include a Physical Resource Block (PRB) usage, a number of received Random Access (RA) preambles, a number of active User Equipments (UEs), a packet delay, data loss, a scheduled Internet Protocol (IP) throughput, and the like. The PRB usage measurements indicate usage of PRBs. A PRB consists of a set of contiguous sub-carriers over a number of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols.
As discussed above, the PRB usage must be accurately measured and reported to the OAM entity by the eNB as part of the L2 measurement process. Currently, the eNB does not consider non-available physical resources (e.g., Multi-media Broadcast over a Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) resources, Almost Blank Subframes (ABS), and the like) for calculating the PRB usage. This may result in reporting low load percentage to the OAM entity when the eNB is fully loaded for a particular subframe configuration, thereby leading to improper load balancing in the wireless network.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and an apparatus for measuring L2 load conditions in a wireless network environment.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.